Age estimation of altered coral fossil by pIRIR measurement

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560157
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Geography
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University
• Principal Investigator: TAKADA Masashi 奈良女子大学, 人文科学系, 教授 (60273827)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: pIRIR法 / 年代推定 / 変質 / サンゴ化石 / 南西諸島

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study I dissolved altered corals by hydrochloric acid and investigate characteristics of luminescence signals from the residual materials to discuss possibilities for an elevated-temperature infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR; post-IR IRSL) dating.
The insoluble residual materials in coral fossils taken from Miyako and Yonaguni Island, southwestern Ryukyus, southwestern Japan , the grain size of which is less than ca. 100 micron meter, show BLSL and IRSL signals. I could get an age constrain from the fossil coral using residual materials after the acid treatment, indicating that fossil coral sometimes contains a certain amount of minerals like quartz and feldspar. I think post-IR IRSL dating of the residual materials from fossil coral after acid treatment gives us a great possibility to date altered fossil coral.

Free Research Field

自然地理学